On Shanxi Merchant Li Family's Charity Ethics And Its Significance To Modern Times

Along with the rapid development of modern society and economy, primary formation of globalization, the differentiation of various social classes as well as the demand of enterprises'development, the research on the charity culture are paid more and more social attention. The article consisits of three parts, discussing Shanxi Merchant Li Family's Charity Ethics and Its Significance to Modern Times.In nature, With the reference of vast historical materials and documents, the author analyzes the formation basis and characteristics of Shanxi Merchant Li Family's charity ethics, and induces its enlightenment for modern times.Charity appears as the ethic way of social distribution. It derives from people's sympathy and reflects the demand for social equity. Charity is of great value in improving people's well-being. Compared with other ethic rules, charity ethics has three distinguished features as asking nothing in return, being people-oriented and self-disciplined, with altruism as its core value. Charity ethics is the social intrinsic virtue base and it plays very important roles in maintaining social stability and easing social contradiction.During Ming and Qing Dynasty, Li Family, who lived in Wanrong County, the south of Shanxi Province, was named as The Charity Family among many wealthy people then. There must have some deeper reasons for Li Family's exclusive reputation of philanthropy. The thesis analyzes the formation of Li Family's charity ethics from four factors:the factor of history and geography, the factor of traditional cultural influence, the factor of family education and the factor of the material basis for good deeds.Li Family's charity ethics embodies incisively and vividly all the characteristics, cores and values of general charity ethics. Generations of Li Family members were extolled by governments and common people. They made themselves a good name of being generous and kind-hearted. This is the reason why Li Family was named Charity Family and the specialty by which Li Family was different from other wealthy families. The spiritual power demonstrated from the praises and good words is the main feature of Li Family's charity ethics.By summarizing and analyzing the Shanxi Merchant Li's Family's charity ethics, the author, on the one hand, discovers some precious experience and enlightenment form Li Family's charity ethics for modern enterprises; on the other hand, the author thinks that Li Family's actively taking social responsibility, being enthusiastic in public welfare, paying close attention to people's livelihood and maintaining social stability has very important referential meaning for us to build a harmonious society.Research on Li Family's charity ethics not only broadens the extent of traditional charity ethics research and provides a new viewpoint for Shanxi Merchant's study, but also supplies good cultural resources to how to fully play the charity ethics under socialist market economy and how to develop and perfect the theory of charity ethics.